March is the month associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S.: the month of all things green, corned beef and cabbage, leprechauns, pots of gold, four-leafed clovers, and luck. To GET LUCKY is an expression often used in English and it is a perfect example of a collocation with GET. The verb GET is...
Category: <span>Living & Traveling in San Diego</span>
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Language classes and love: newlyweds visit CISL, where they met!
CISL students don’t just receive the language skills needed to succeed: sometimes, they also find love! Recently, former CISL San Diego students Ho-jun and Eunyoung (both from Korea) stopped by Converse to say hello and to visit the school where they studied English 6 years ago. But they weren’t just reliving their time as CISL students: they were visiting...
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Business English: Idioms with “short”
This year, we have an extra day in February . . . but with just 29 days in total, February is still the shortest month of the year. In honor of this exceptionally short month, we are looking at some business related idioms in English. Idioms with “short” to come up short Definition: to be deficient;...
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Grammar Lesson of the Month: Three Word Phrasal Verbs + Things to Look Forward To While Studying English at CISL
It’s Phrasal Verb February! To “celebrate,” we are taking a look at three-word phrasal verbs that are commonly used in English. What is a three-word phrasal verb? To understand, we must first look at “regular” (two-word) phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs most often follow this construction: verb + particle Examples: I decided to take up surfing while...
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Common English Prefixes + the best places to start your day in SD
January is coming to an end, but we are still thinking about beginnings: specifically, the beginnings of words, and how we begin our days while living and studying English in beautiful San Diego. Learn all about prefixes, and enjoy our suggestions for ways to begin your day while studying at CISL! What is a prefix,...
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Suggested reading for ESL students (+ the beautiful new SD Library!)
Downtown San Diego is known for its beautiful Coronado and Bay views, gorgeous Petco Park, (home of the Padres baseball team: go Pads!), its exciting Gaslamp District filled with restaurants and bars, and . . . the library. The library? Well, San Diego’s new central library might not be something that the city is “known”...
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Business English: Phrasal Verbs for Meetings
Phrasal verbs: they’re everywhere! These pesky verb + participle combinations find their way into everything . . . even business correspondence. Prepare yourself for the business world with these phrasal verbs that are commonly used before, during, and after meetings. Business English Phrasal Verbs for Meetings Note: some of these phrasal verbs have several meanings....
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Top Reasons to Study English in Beautiful California
Are you thinking of studying English in California? The state’s laid-back culture, beautiful beaches, and amazing weather are of course appealing . . . but what else makes California so special? We asked some of our California natives and then compiled a list of some of their favorite things about living in The Golden State....
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Grammar Lesson of the Month: The Modal “MUST” + 5 Things CISL Students Must Do in 2016
A New Year means New Year’s Resolutions: do you have any for 2016? When you are studying English in San Diego or San Francisco, there are so many fun resolutions to make! For January’s Grammar Lesson of the Month, we are looking at the modal MUST and 5 things you simply MUST do while living...
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Types of TOEFL Writing Prompts + California Missions
“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” -Arthur Ashe If you are planning to take the TOEFL exam, it is important that you understand the test format and its many question types. Today we are focusing on the Writing Section of the TOEFL exam and looking at the...